St. Landry democrat., 1887-02-26
little figure, and his broad chest


Poor DAM
Once that expression had been ut
tered regarding himself. and then it
sounded SO strange, coming from the
lips of sweet Susie Slaync.
Dan Hurlock straightcns his rather
slender form. and bending low. says
suddenly: Don't cry for the naughty
robin, Susie, will get him for YOU"
He waits not for further converse but
speeds from the room. Dan is skill
full climber, and he has formed des-
perate resolve. Brushing aside her
tears Susie leans her pretty face on her
hand and watches the movement of the
bird Occasionally she calls his name,
but he continued to remain oblivious Of
the girls presence, cunning fellow.
The roof opposite is after the gothic,
and very steep, much higher than the
block that Susie occupies. 1t covers
the main building of boys school.
and the sewing girl has often watched
the movements in the rooms opposite
and wondered if she would ever be able
to complete the education begun in the
village school years before.
Suddenly she starts and lifts her
pretty chin from her palm. She sees
the bare head of a man; it snot thrown
to her vision from the school-room. but
from one of the many rooms to the
left of the sharp, slate covering of the
seminary. She watches the moving
man with an intensity that is absolute
ly painful. He is now crossing the
roof of a large block that is only sepa-
rated from the seminary building by
narrow lane. In his hand is a coiled
rope. What will he do with this?
Susie is not held long in suspense.
Once, twice, thrice he hurls moose
at one of the great chimneys. The
third throw secures hold, and then
he is climbing, going up, up until the
roof and chimney hide him from view.
No one seems to see the daring youth
save the girl at the window - she
watches and waits with an intensity of
feeling that is painful, wondering and
alarmed at the sight After Il minute
curly brown head comes to view
above the ridge of the seminary roof.
Susie stands breathless as brown
hand moves along toward the fugitive
robin, and thcn-the bird is gone.
With defiant, wicked little twitter,
master robin spreads his wings and
aights on the peak of a morrow gable
for ont IF tho clin bar's roach
ooh, dear!'
1t was natural exclamation of girl
ish petulence and disappointment.
Dan Hurlock does not mean to give up
so. He draws himself to the ridgepole,
and with startling suddenness rises to
his feet. A thrill shoots through his
breast as he towers thus above all the
buildings in the vicinity; vast, airy
expanse about him, the world in minia-
ture below. That thrill of conscious
danger sends the blood from the brown
cheek, and fills the frank brown eyes
with a scared look not pleasant to
see.
go back, Dan, you can not get the
birdr'
But Hurlock needs not the warning
voice of Susie. He means to capture
his obstinate namesake if possible.
Sinking back the youth calls gently the
name of the robin. The bird darts into
the air, flutters a moment over the
young mans head, then settles within
six feet of him on the slate below-just
beyond reach Hurlock lies fiat and
begins to slide down the steep descent.
At length he clings to the ridge with
one hand above, while with the other
he reaches down after the bird.
The provoking little redbreast is just
beyond his grasp. 1t, too, is clinging
for a foothold. Again Hurlock calls,
but Red Dan only tips his head with an
expression of extreme wisdom, seems
to listen a moment, then hops just a
little farther away.
The young climber makes one more
supreme effort to seize the bird, and
then his hold on the ridge relaxes-he
! is lost! A cry of horror falls from the
| lips of Susie, who has watched every
movement of the daring youth. She
closes her eyes as the sound of a sliding
body CRATES on her senses-the next
sound will be that awful thud one hum
bred feet below! Amoment thus, then
dead, awful silence that is more ter
rible than the crash of ten thousand
cannon.
Susie ventures to look. Half way
down the steep roof of the seminary is
Dan Hurlock, lying flat, clinging, yet
moving slowly, an inch second to the
awful doom that awaits him below!
The horrors of that moment no pen
can describe. She can not see his face,
consequently is spared the CHASTITY hor-
ror depicted there. And then, with a